Broun: Dismantle TSA, save $5.5 billion

A Congressman from Georgia is continuing his campaign against the Transportation Security Agency (TSA).

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., last week offered to dismantle the TSA, a move he says will save taxpayers more than $5.5 billion.

“Protecting our homeland in the face of terrorism remains a top national security priority,” Broun said in a news release.“However, we must ensure that every action we take is a proven and effective one. That’s why I offered multiple amendments to cut back administrative bloat and to dismantle and modify the ineffective” TSA.

Broun suggested his cuts as part of a series of amendments to the FY13 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill. The bill, without Broun’s amendments, passed the U.S. House by a 234-182 margin.

“One of my amendments would have reduced the administrative, salaries, and expense account budgets by 3 percent, excluding the Coast Guard,” Broun said. “This would have saved almost a half billion dollars by tightening the belt on personnel expenses, while leaving our critical operations fully funded. Our fiscal emergency demands that we focus government spending only on the mission at hand, not on sustaining bureaucracy.

“Most significantly, I offered an amendment to fully defund the TSA, which would have saved more than 5 billion dollars,” Broun added. “Since it was created, the TSA has failed time and again to accomplish its mission, instead becoming the posterchild for bureaucratic nonsense. While the agency continues to grow at a breakneck speed – intelligence agencies are the ones actually capturing terrorists that mean to do us harm.”

Todd DeFeo loves to travel anywhere, anytime, taking pictures and notes. An award-winning reporter, Todd revels in the experience and the fact that every place has a story to tell. He is owner of The DeFeo Groupe and also edits Express Telegraph and Railfanning.org.